Bulk tobacco barn furnace

Abstract

An auxiliary wood furnace for a bulk curing tobacco barn is arranged for installation in a basement immediately below the conventional oil or gas fired furnace for ease of barn modification and adaptation to burning wood as the source of heat.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A bulk tobacco curing apparatus, comprising: (a) barn structure extending lengthwise and establishing at one end and over a major portion of the length thereof a heating compartment and at the opposite end a furnace compartment and establishing a confined path for recirculating air therethrough, said barn structure being supported on the ground and in a manner and by means establishing a plenum chamber below said heating compartment and between said heating compartment and the ground and a basement chamber located below said furnace compartment, said basement chamber extending downwardly below the level of said plenum chamber;   (b) an individually controllable burner fired heat source in the nature of an oil- or gas-fired furnace located in said furnace compartment and operatively associated with said heating compartment and having an individually controllable associated electrically-powered fan for blowing air circulated along said path; and   (c) a wood-burning furnace located in said basement chamber below said oil- or gas-fired furnace, said wood-burning furnace having: (i) a firebox;   (ii) an adjustably vented door for loading said firebox;   (iii) a heat exchange unit vertically spaced above said firebox, below said oil- or gas-fired furnace and in substantial vertical alignment with said fan and including sets of tubes connected at one end for receiving flue gases from said firebox and at the opposite exit end to vertically extending tubular exhaust stacks for exhausting said flue gases; said heat exchange unit being in flow communication with both said fan and said plenum chamber; and   (iv) an auxiliary electrically-powered blower apparatus having an adjustable thermostat control responsive to the temperature of said heating compartment, a blower and connecting ducts for receiving and admitting extra combustion air to said firebox;      said wood-burning furnace heat exchange unit by reason of said location vertically below said fan and between said fan and said plenum chamber enabling heat created by said wood furnace to be employed to heat said heating compartment by flowing in said path.   
     
     
       2. A bulk tobacco curing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sets of tubes comprise at least two sets of upper and lower interconnected, vertically spaced, horizontal tubes for establishing at least two passes of said flue gases through said heat exchange unit prior to discharge. 
     
     
       3. A bulk tobacco curing apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said lower set of tubes are greater in number and of larger diameter than said upper set of tubes. 
     
     
       4. In a bulk tobacco curing apparatus, comprising a barn structure extending lengthwise and establishing at one end and over a major portion of the length thereof a heating compartment and at the opposite end a furnace compartment and further establishing a confined path for recirculating air therethrough, said barn structure being supported on the ground and further comprising a plenum chamber positioned below said heating compartment and between said heating compartment and the ground and a burner fired heat source located in said furnace compartment and operatively associated with said heating compartment and having an electrically-powered fan for circulating air along said confined path, the improvement comprising an alternative heating system for supplying heat to said heating compartment to assist in the curing and drying of tobacco within said heating compartment, said alternative heating system comprising a wood-burning furnace located in a basement chamber located directly below said furnace compartment and below the level of said plenum chamber and being in operative association with said electrically-powered fan and said plenum chamber, said wood-burning furnace comprising a firebox, a door for loading said firebox, a heat exchange unit vertically spaced above said firebox and below said burner-fired heat source and in substantial vertical alignment with said electrically-powered fan, said heat exchange unit being in flow communication with both said fan and said plenum chamber, and an auxiliary electrically-powered blower means communicating with said firebox for receiving and admitting extra combustion air to said firebox as needed, whereby said wood-burning furnace by reason of said location vertically below said electrically-powered fan and in flow communication with said fan and said plenum chamber enables heat created by said wood furnace to be employed to heat said heating compartment by flowing in said confined path and utilizing previously-existing said plenum chamber and previously-existing said electrically-powered fan associated with said burner-fired heat source.